Titanium dioxide nanoparticles treated by UVC and IR radiation-induced positive changes in a cancer cell line treatment

The aim of this study is to describe the effect of TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized with green tea extract, as a natural product on cancer cell lines, for example, the human hepatocellular cancer cell line, and their interaction with phototherapies such as ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) therapy for anticancer treatment. TiO₂ (NPs) was synthesized in a procedure of green tea as one of the most antioxidant plant-derived natural products. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) samples were exposed to UVC and IR radiation. The qualitative impacts of these treatments have been analyzed by means of ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) spectrophotometry in the range 200–800 nm, considering optical properties, as well as the cytotoxic effect, which was evaluated by measuring the numbers of viable cells, which were determined by the MTT test. The use of TiO₂ in conjunction with ultraviolet or infrared radiation has shown a remarkable ability to enhance the killing of cancer cells by generating reactive oxygen species. Therefore, the TiO₂ group and the activating treatment showed great potential and could be an effective therapeutic strategy against cancer. The final treatment results proved to be highly dependent on the specific order of the UV dose and had a lesser effect in the case of IR radiation. The results clearly showed that the value for the IC50 of cell viability of the HuH-7 cell line, which equals 36.40 ± 7.80 µg/ml, at 4 h UVC exposure was significantly lower than the IC ₅₀ values for the other UVC exposure interval times. In addition, the exposure at the same dose had a better effect on normal cells (WI-38 cell line) and provided a greater value for this IC ₅₀ parameter compared to both samples of control and standardized chemotherapy, whereas the IR treatment did not have a similar trend. The results also demonstrate that the production of TiO₂ nanoparticles by green synthesis with biological extracts is an effective technique to produce non-toxic materials for cancer treatment. Despite the good results achieved from using nanotechnology in medicinal treatment, it is essential that clinical applications remain limited, requiring additional studies on live animals that resemble the human body.